Time to Heal
by JackiLeigh
Summary: Post Series. This is another attempt, by me, to tie up some loose ends. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

TIME TO HEAL

 **AN: This fic was written after I saw the series finale. I miss the show so much, but I really like the way they ended things. I just wanted to use this fic to tie up some of the loose ends I felt the show left. As always, thanks, in advance, for your reviews and alerts. You guys are awesome. Enjoy! JL**

Peter had to admit, it hurt a lot less than it did a year ago. He didn't think he would ever forget that image. Neal lying on that morgue table, a bullet wound in the center of his chest. But, actually, that was not what Peter remembered so much anymore. He remembered the fun times they had had. The banter, the silly arguments, the dinners, and the times he and Neal drank Italian roast on the veranda. Peter turned his head away quickly when he realized where he was looking. An agent occupied Neal's old desk know, but Peter still saw Neal sitting there sometimes, smiling or messing with his fedora. Peter sighed, turned, and walked back into his office.

El put her planner down and looked out at the street. She sometimes saw Neal there, looking up at her, smiling. She remembered their first meeting. Neal at her door, Peter upstairs, and Jones calling, telling Peter Neal was out of his radius. But the memories were all good now. The horror of that day replaced with sweet, good remembrances of nice conversations and shared dinners. She sometimes could hear his voice in the quiet. And she would stop cold in her tracks still at the sight of someone wearing a fedora. She would see Neal smile, tip his hat, and then disappear into the crowd.

June had started taking her coffee, on occasion, on the veranda. At first it had hurt too much. She would not even go into the apartment. And she would not let her staff clean it. As if, if she left everything the same, it would bring him back. It still had not changed much. The bed had fresh linen. The fridge and freezer were empty and clean. The bathroom had been cleaned of used toiletries. And the wine collection had been pilfered, thanks to Mozzie.

The schemes and cons weren't fun anymore. His co-conspirator was not there to conspire with. Mozzie had not retired from the game. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He had just toned things down a little. He knew that the suits would be watching him in the months after Neal's death and Mozzie wanted things to appear as normal as possible. So he continued to grieve and run small cons. And after about a year he was ready to go. New York just didn't feel the same. He had kept up his book club and wine drinking with June. But the house didn't feel the same. Mozzie had even babysat Theo a few times. He had spent time with the Burkes and their new addition, Neal, Peter's and El's newborn son. But it was all bittersweet. The conman was not there to share it. So, one day Mozzie just packed up and left New York behind.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He loved the open-air cafes. He had been spoiled by his new lifestyle, breakfast in cafés and strolls along centuries-old streets. It was just missing one thing.

"Mon fraire." Mozzie said to the man in the fedora sitting with his back to him.

Neal stood and turned. He smiled broadly and embraced his old friend.

"You did it." Neal said. "You waited the whole year."

Mozzie nodded. "Of course." He said as he sat. "I had to. The suits were watching me. So I grieved for my friend, and I ran small cons to stay busy."

"How's Peter?" Neal asked. He knew it would only make him miss them all more, but he had to know.

"Peter's great, loving the promotion. And he's…. They named the baby Neal." Mozzie paused watching Neal's reaction. "They wanted some way to honor you."

Neal looked at Mozzie, shocked for just a moment. "After me…really?"

Mozzie nodded.

"Wow!" Neal said, shaking his head. "That's…."

"Amazing." Mozzie finished Neal's sentence as he dug in his pocket for a picture. He handed it to Neal.

"That's newborn Neal." Mozzie produced another picture. "This is from about 2 weeks ago. El takes him to picture studios all the time, every time she buys him a new outfit."

Neal stared at the pictures. He could see features of both El and Peter in the baby's face. He smiled at his namesake.

"I'm so happy for them, Moz. I knew El would be a great mom. But, Peter…."

Mozzie nodded. "He took to it right away." Mozzie paused until after the waitress came and took his order. "He's great with Neal. And El said he got home on time, most times these days."

Neal nodded. But there was a sadness in his eyes.

Mozzie looked at him. "You can't go back, Neal. That bridge is most definitely burned."

Neal nodded. "I know, but I had a great life for those 6 years with such good people…."

"We make our own destiny, Neal." Mozzie stated. "We are in Paris."

"I still want to know."

Mozzie nodded. "June's spending more time with her children in California. El's restarted her event planning business. She takes Neal with her to client meetings sometimes. Peter kept Hughes' job. Jones got Peter's old job. And Diana moved back to D.C to be near her parents. They offered her 24/7 babysitting services."

"A lot's changed." Neal observed.

"You 'death' changed things. June decided she needed to be closer to her family. And Peter and Diana decided to put their children's needs first. They realized what's important." Mozzie stated.

"Moz, you getting sentimental on me?" Neal grinned.

"They are lucky to have parents who care."

"You have friends who care, Moz."

Mozzie took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. "…a lot of dust in the air today."

Neal shook his head then went back to drinking his coffee.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"It's time I told Peter." Neal said, eyeing his gift critically.

Mozzie was pacing. "This is not a good idea, Neal. You let the suit know you're alive and the suit will come looking for you."

Neal shook his head. "He won't. He'll understand."

"Yeah, Neal…he understands you are a criminal and he's a fed. Feds chase criminals, Neal."

"He let me go." Neal stated.

"He thought you were dead. He thinks you're dead. He has to let go."

Neal nodded. The whole death thing had worked out amazingly well.

"He won't come after me. He'll just be glad that I'm alive." Neal asserted.

Mozzie shook his head. He sighed. "Okay, but a wise…."

"I don't care what some wise man said, Moz. It doesn't apply here." Neal said, growing irritated.

"Okay, okay. So, how are you going to do it?"

"Easy." Neal said, he went to a bookshelf and pulled down a specific bottle of wine. "Remember this?"

Mozzie nodded. "Sans treasure map."

"I had that bottle in my possession the second time that Peter caught me. I just kept staring at it. I, of course, had no idea what Kate had been trying to tell me then." Neal retrieved the wooden wine back he had bought to ship the wine and carefully packaged it. "I even filled it with that chardonnay that El likes so much."

"Peter Burke is going to remember the name of a wine?" Mozzie was not at all sure about Neal's plan. He shook his head. "You're putting your faith in a Suit, first of all. And second of all in a Suit who rather have a 'cold one.' He knows nothing about fine wines."

"Peter doesn't have to remember names. He just has to remember that was the bottle I had with me when he caught me."

"I still think that it's a mistake." Mozzie said as he paced Neal's apartment. "We need a suit-proof escape plan."

"Mozzie?"

"You can operate on your faith in the suit if you want to. But I prefer a suit-free environment."

Neal remembered the pictures Mozzie had shown him. "You've been to the house, you played with…."

Mozzie cut him off. "El invited me, and Baby Neal is adorable."

Neal nodded. The pictures probably didn't do the kid justice. He was a beautiful baby.

"I owe Peter a lot, Moz. He agreed to take me on as a C.I. He covered for me. I just…." Neal struggled with the words.

Mozzie knew what Neal was saying was true. He had seen it. But he still mistrusted the fed.

"I know, I know. But I believe he will be so grateful to me for letting him know that I'm alive, he won't chase me." Neal paused. "Besides there will be no fingerprints, no evidence, no return address. All he'll have is his suspicions."

"That'll be enough." Mozzie retorted.

Neal shook his head.

"He would want the case solved, Neal. If he knows you're alive, that's one case he has yet to solve."

Neal looked at Mozzie. "Peter would have to answer a lot of hard questions about my death."

"That's true." Mozzie realized. "But he's still a suit."

"You worry too much."

A couple of weeks later Peter found a bottle of wine on his doorstep. He picked up the package and carried it inside. The name of the wine seemed familiar, but Peter didn't dwell on that. He assumed a friend or co-worker had just gotten around to sending a congrats on his baby or his new job. Either way he decided to immediately pop the cork and pour himself and El a glass. It was just a little while later that Peter made the connection.

His friend was still alive!

THE END


End file.
